'Stand Your Ground' Bill Still Moving In Senate
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – A proposal that would change the burden of proof in "stand your ground" self-defense cases is holding on for dear life after nearly dissipating in the House. The bill is now slated to go to the Senate Rules Committee.
If approved by the committee during a meeting Thursday, the bill (SB 344), sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, would be ready to go to the full Senate when the 2016 legislative session starts in January.
The issue stems from a Florida Supreme Court ruling that said people who use the "stand your ground" defense have the burden of showing they should be shielded from prosecution.
The legislation, backed by the National Rifle Association, would shift the burden of proof to the state in "stand your ground" cases.
A House version of the bill (HB 169), filed by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, was defeated Nov. 17 in a 6-6 vote in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. But after that vote, Bradley said "everything is in play" until the end of the legislative session.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.